Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-08-09
FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial Correspondence of the .Alexa. GAzErrrl

FROM ~ ASRaaNGaVN.
special Correspondence of the Alexa. GAzErrEl
WASHINGTON. D. c., August 9, 1887.
Contracts have been awarded to parties in
Philadelphia, San Franc SEQ and Baltimore
for the construction OF three u. S. cruisers
and two gunboats, the maximum speed OF
the former to be at least nineteen knots an
hour, and for every quarter of knot over
that premium of $4,000 is offered. The
work is to be completed within two years.
Some of the Oldest and most experienced
and most practical navy men here prophesy
that the cost of these vessels, five and a-halt
million, will DO doubled, and that when I'm
ished they will be failures, and instance the
Dolphin and Atlanta as proof of the nom
success OF American iron shipbuilding.
A gentleman, here to day, interested in
the Mineral Railroad, the proposed road to
connect Strasburg with the coal fields OF
West Virginia, ard make Alexandria q
large coal shipping port. says that seven
hundred aud fifty of the one thousand shares
of stock required have been subscribed for,
and that as soon as the gentlemen who have
agreed to take the remaining two hundred
and fifty shares can be heard from, the COM
pany will organize and ut onca commence
operations.
A Southern capitalist and man of affairs,
in this city, is seriously contemplating in
yesting in Alexandria the requisite amount
of money to establish n street railroad sys-
tenn there He says that such system is
profitable in Southern cities with not bali
the population Of Alexandria, and that
whv il should not be so there, he
cannot imagine. The proposed system
will not be confined to line from the
foot of King street to West End, but will
include lines on other streets also. The cars
will DO drawn by two horses and will be
run ct short intervals. Should the city
council allow him TO run dummy engines on
King street, as is done in some OF the
moro prosperous Southern cities, his Idea
is TO extend the line 10 Mount
Vernon, end take passengers from the
Washington ferry boats through to that
place without change of cars. Or course ne
expects to make ample provision against
any possible loss the city may sustain from
failure OF his enterprise.
An Alexandria county man, here TO day,
in talking about politics in his county. said
he had a conversation with Mr.. Frank
Hume Yesterday, in which MIR. Hume told
him he wculd not be candidate next fall for
the Virginia House of Delegates or for the
Virginia Senate, and that for the latter
place he thought Fairfax was entitled to it,
and that he would support MIR. Walton
Moore, of that county, or any body else the
democratic convention might nominate.
MIR. Gait, the we'll known jeweler here,
and thoroughly acquainted with the men
and affairs of the city, being asked by the
GAZErTE's correspondent this morning II
there was really any foundation for All the
talk, newspaper and other sort, about al
legged cr0okedness Gu the part OF the Com
m:ssioners of the District Of Columbia, re
,, piled that he did not think there was, and
that If every member of tho commission was
uot a gentleman, and as honest as he was,
he was greatly mistaken. He said it was
impossible that any stealing could have
been done, SIS the omptroller OF the Trea-
sury has o inspect every item of expense,
and that though there might have been
some extravaganza, it was doubtful if there
mad been. as be could readily see that five
hundrcd dollar horse might ne cheaper in
the end tl,aa tWO bnndre' and fifty dollar
one.
Senator Colqui,t of Georgia, ia in the city
to-day. The Senator is spok OF rs the
probable successor TO Secretary Lamar,
should the latter b. ppace Associate Justice
of The U :. Sup The Senator
says the cotton ~ a. t.~o weeks earlier in
his State than la. s.tr and If the season
shall continue fv ab,e gi, be- II badly the
largest ever raised tA' State The corn
crop also, be suys, vii bs unusually large,
and that the prospects of the Iice crop arc
moro than favorable Altogether, he says,
the agricultural condition of Georgia is ex-
ceedingly prosperous. He also says that q
similar condition exists in South Carolina.
The farm Sauator Evarts has bought for
his son near Fort Washington. below Alex
andria, has on il, it is said, rich and exen-
sive mari beds, which, though long known
to exist there, will now for the first time he
worked.
Mahoneite from the Alexandria, Virginia
| senatorial district, here To-day says the members
of his party will, on the I'd proxmo. elect dele.
gates to 4 convention to meet nj Manassas on the
9th to nominate q candidate for the State Senate
and will also elect delegates to the county con.
ventions 10 nominate candidates for the IIonsc oil
Delegates.